1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to image and video processing, and more particularly, to a method of analyzing a video stream in order to prevent fraud and theft during automated teller machine transactions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent times, the automated teller machine (ATM) has become increasingly popular. Banks make extensive use of ATMs due to the low cost compared to a traditional bank teller, and due the 24-hour availability of ATMs. ATMs can be placed in a wide variety of locations, providing users with great convenience when needing to withdraw cash or perform other banking functions. When a user wishes to access his bank account through an ATM, the user inserts a bank card having a magnetic strip and/or an integrated circuit chip into the ATM, and the user then enters his personal identification number (PIN) to access his bank account.
Although ATMs now handle many bank transactions that were traditionally handled by human bank tellers, ATMs are not without their drawbacks. Safety is a priority when withdrawing money. However, none of the ATMs on the market today employ an intelligent safety monitoring system. This causes users to worry about their safety when using ATMs. Furthermore, criminals can take advantage of people withdrawing money from ATMs, which is harmful to society as a whole. Therefore, there is a strong need for away to prevent fraud and theft when using ATMs.